[Snakeeyes]

Greetings all.

I need to increase my killing power. I used to sort of ignore the deck gun but now I want to learn more.

A. What type of shell should I use when going after merchants?

B. Can I still fire at the vulnerable parts of merchants with the deck gun and get a greater chance of.... well.... BOOM.

C. Do AP shells work better for punching holes in merchants and thus letting flooding do the work?

Basicly... what techniques do you experts use for a good merchant blasting.

I'm on the Type IIV now but I should be coming home tonight with enough renown to move up to a type IX.

[Beery]

You will find it difficult to get tonnage using the RUb deck gun. In real life it was most often used as a secondary weapon to finish off smaller ships or ships that had already been torpedoed, and RUb's deck gun reflects this. It is still possible to use the deck gun in RUb to sink ships, but (as in real life) you run a big risk of air attack because the deck gun reload time is so slow.

[Khayman]

On a patrol in U-109, Heinrich Bleichrodt came across the 3531 ton Halcyon. He fired his last two torps, but both missed. He then had a stand up argument with one of his officers who wanted to use the deck gun on it. "You're all mad!" he screamed. Then he gave in and ordered a gun engagement (he was paranoid about Q-ships).

It took 200 10.5cm and 100 3.7cm shells to sink it. There's realism for you!

What Beery said really, about sinking ships with it. I found in GW that it's best used on ships already heavilly damaged, and always aim for the waterline using HE shells. I'd also only use it in the early part of the war, as mid to later on you'll attract some heavy air.

Btw To the amusement of the crew of U-109, the ship radioed "RRR RRR Halcyon RRR RRR", meaning he thought he was being attacked by a regular warship. The American coast was up in arms, thinking a German warship was on the loose.